Amidst a hectic college application season, procrastinating seniors are scrolling through social media at a record pace. Although some may say it is a waste of time, social media can be an invaluable asset to take advantage of opportunities that were previously unknown.
Our whole lives we have been warned to be careful about what we put out online, but rarely have we been encouraged to use social media as a tool. A 2019 Kaplan survey found that 36% of college admissions officers checked applicants’ social media and, of the ones who checked, 38% said what they found had a positive impact, while 32% said it had a negative one. If you are not a statistics person, there is roughly a one in three chance that your public social media account gets checked, so before you post something, consider that it could be seen by an applicant officer. Keep in mind, this only applies to public accounts, so if you don’t want to worry about your page being seen, switching to a private account is a good option too.
If done correctly, social media can be used to boost yourself and stand out, but it isn’t as simple as putting “scholar” in your bio. Although focusing on athletes, the National Scouting Report has some good suggestions that can apply to anyone: focus on being easily searchable by using your real name, create content related to academics or sports you want to showcase, and actively manage who you tag or who tags you to highlight only the intended connections. These methods have the potential to help your chances, but social media is certainly not for everyone, nor would it be penalizing to avoid it all together.
A much simpler approach to utilizing social media is following the colleges you are interested in and possibly getting in touch with current students. JR alum and freshman at Brown University, Zach Bensky shared, “For Brown, many students posted their applications online, so I used that to help guide mine.” In addition to looking at student’s pages, other alums reported that they used supplemental applications that were posted by the school’s official page, which highlighted what they look for in a potential student. Doing either of these tasks could provide essential information and perspectives on any school you may be interested in, while not requiring an in-person visit.
One final way to use social media is following application advice accounts. Although you have to be careful who you listen to, accounts run by experienced people such as retired admission officers or top students are generally reliable sources with real world experience. Whether you are looking for examples, inspiration, or even where to start, there are thousands of sites and resources to take advantage of.
Social media has grown to the extent that it is accessible to almost anyone, so if any of these opportunities interest you, it’s time to get scrolling!
